By Jennifer Blanchard
Last week on Copyblogger, Associate Editor, Jon Morrow, wrote a post called 20 Warning Signs Your Content Sucks. The post detailed 20 things that could help a writer tell if the content he or she is putting out there is any good or not.
When I first saw that post, I thought—“Cool, this post will be a reinforcement for me that my blog rocks.” Or so I thought.
But once I read it, I realized almost half of the 20 warning signs applied to me and this blog. A very scary thought considering the amount of time and dedication I’ve put into it.
For example, sign 3: “You’re not getting many (or any) comments,” applies to me. Almost 600 people subscribe to this blog…and yet my posts don’t get very many comments.
Or, for example, sign 5: “You spend less than one hour on each post,” applies to me. I typically spend about 30 minutes or so on a post. And when I do spend an hour writing a post, it’s usually because I got distracted while writing it and managed to check my Twitter feed, respond to several e-mails and catch up on the world of People.com.
Another sign that applies to me is sign 16: “You have no idea what keeps your readers up at night.” Even though I do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions, I’m still not sure I have a clear idea of what keeps you, my reader, up at night. A big problem for me, and a reason why my content isn’t as compelling for you.
Which signs apply to you?
Read the post on Copyblogger, then please share in the comments…if you’re willing to admit your faults.
Taking A Break
Last week I put a call out for guest posts because I need to step away from the blog for a couple weeks. Now you know why.
That list really struck a chord with me—in so many ways. It forced me to see that while I’m doing an OK job, I could be doing a whole lot better.
I’m a believer in continual improvement and continual learning and growth. But being as busy as I am, I rarely have much time for anything other than just maintaining what I’ve been doing all along (and even then I sometimes still have a problem doing that).
So I’m stepping back; I’m taking a two- to three-week break to think things through and work on some behind the scenes content stuff.
I’m not going to let this blog die while I’m off rediscovering my purpose for starting it in the first place, however. That’s why I’ll be posting guest posts from several of my brilliant Procrastinating Writers readers, starting next week.
I received an overwhelming response from people interested in writing for this blog. So I’m going to let their voices be heard.
You’re going to love what’s coming. New voices means fresh perspectives, ideas and tips.
Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions to help me improve my content or this blog in general, please, PLEASE share them in the comments below (or, if you prefer, send me an e-mail to: jennifer@procrastinatingwriters.com). And feel free to be honest and share what you really think; you won’t hurt my feelings 🙂
I want to make this blog a useful guide for helping writers who struggle to get started. In order to do that, I need to know what you want to read about, what you need help with and what writing problems you struggle most with.
I really appreciate your input.
About the Author: Jennifer Blanchard is founder of Procrastinating Writers. For more great writing tips, articles and information, follow her on Twitter.
